Chapter 54 (1/2)

Unsurprisingly, the word ‘missing’ appeared behind Xiao Yu’s full name, bolded out in bright red color.

Xia Fei’s heart sank as he hesitated for a moment before clicking on her name. Almost instantly, the information regarding Xiao Yu was displayed right before his eyes.

Name: Su Ruoyu

Gender: Female

Age: 11

Place of birth: Pan Human Alliance, Endaro Star Region, Earth Federation.

Special Ability: Amethyst Guard

Rank: Primary Star Base

Status: Missing

There was even a picture of Xiao Yu on that information page. In the picture, the girl was riding on a giraffe’s back, very excitedly waving the straw hat in her hand.

Xia Fei lit another cigarette as he stared at this little girl’s picture for a long time. The cigarette burnt till the end and was almost about to burn his fingers, yet he never took a puff.

“This photograph is pretty nice. Store it in your AI computer, so you can look at it whenever you feel like it,” Phantom whimpered. At the moment, the eyes of this sensitive assassin were filled with a shiny liquid.

Xia Fei shook his head and changed the page on his AI computer to the Pairing Table for the assessment’s second round, softly saying, “There’s no need to do that. I won’t ever forget something that I do not wish to forget. Life goes on, no matter what, so it’s best if I study the opponent whom I’ll be up against in the next round.”

He had very quickly located his and Chen Dong’s name on that Pairing Table, as Xia Fei clicked on Chen Dong’s name for more information.

“Advanced Star Domain rank…” Xia Fei slowly read out the words on the display screen.

He laughed in self-deprecation, “Looks like I really have bad luck. Not only is Chen Dong a powerful Nature Special Ability User, but he had even cultivated to the Advanced Star Domain rank.”

Xia Fei’s ability was speed. This was the second most common ability in the universe, while most people possessed the Strength Ability.

If all the various abilities across the universe were to be divided into top, middle and low grades, the Speed Ability would only rank around middle-grade at best.

Conversely, Chen Dong’s Nature Special Ability, Freeze, had the qualifications to be considered top-grade. Xia Fei was already at a disadvantage in terms of his ability, let alone the fact that Chen Dong’s cultivation was four whole ranks higher than his own!

Every rank meant the power of the user would be doubled, not to mention that this was not merely a one rank difference, but four!

The differences between the two were simply Heaven and Earth. Xia Fei wished he could beat Chen Dong, but that would simply be an impossible task!

Xia Fei could use his experience, judgment, and technique to make up for the difference of one rank, but just what could he use to make up for four ranks’ worth? His life?

Xia Fei quietly stood up and suited up his Windshade Mark IV combat suit. Securing his Chasing Light on his arm, Xia Fei stepped out of the door.

“Where are you going?” Phantom asked.

Xia Fei did not turn back as his footsteps continued marching, “I’m off to cultivate and train, of course. It’s as the old saying goes, ‘Even preparations made in the last minute would turn out helpful.’ Heh, I have no intention of losing too uglily when the time comes, after all.”

Phantom followed closely behind Xia Fei, his head hung low with a solemn expression as if he were deep in thought.

“There’s no way for you to win against a Freeze Ability User at the Advanced Star Domain rank. No matter how fast you are, the best you can do is escape, but there’s no way for you to beat him in combat,” Phantom worriedly commented.

Xia Fei smiled, “I never did say I’m going to beat him in combat. I merely don’t want to lose too badly.”

Turning at a corner, Xia Fei entered an elevator, “This is an opportunity for me to spar with an expert. I’ve checked the rules of this round, and candidates are allowed to admit defeat if they can’t win. I’ll just admit defeat if I really can’t take it; I’ll just end up lowering my head a little, so I won’t need to sacrifice my life… What are you being so gloomy for?”

Phantom was still in deep thought, only slightly nodding to the prompt, not saying a word.

“Before, I wanted to be strong because I was not satisfied being holed up in this small Earth. I wanted to head out to see the mysterious alien planets while still alive, find out just what the universe out there is like, see if these so-called experts have grown three heads and six arms.”

“After this incident, I’ve suddenly realized that the world beyond is a lot more complex than I had imagined. I’ll need to get stronger myself. Otherwise, who’s to guarantee that what happened to Xiao Yu won’t happen a second time or even a third time?”

Xia Fei sounded very relaxed when he said this like he was just having a casual chat with an old friend, but Phantom could tell that Xia Fei had made a huge decision. The incident with Xiao Yu had encouraged him to speed up his own life’s path.

Leading an aimless life was a frightening existence, and only a person of talent would endure all sorts of pressure and keep going ahead when given a clear and defined goal in front of them.

Phantom gazed at Xia Fei with quite a bit of excitement before he knitted his eyebrows and shook his head, as if he were experiencing a bitter struggle between heaven and man.

The elevator stopped at the lowest level. Xia Fei walked out of the spaceship with a smile on his face as he stood on the yellow soil of Australia.

The first round of assessment had already finished, so many candidates were carrying their bags and preparing to leave. All of them had a heart full of excitement and hope on arrival, yet all they were left with now was just disappointment and a body in pain.

Xia Fei waved goodbye to a big and tall candidate, possessing a height that could easily qualify for a basketball player and a physique that could do weightlifting. This man was presently carrying a heavy backpack, wordless as he got ready to board a spaceship that would take him home.

His left arm was heavily bandaged, and tears ran down his cheeks. His torso was bent over like he was a huge shrimp, and the big and fat head of his was drooping, almost as if he were about to kneel over to the ground.

“Look, this is what a loser looks like. I admit that I would have a very tough time beating that battle maniac Chen Dong, but I do not wish to leave so crest-fallen. Even if I’m beaten, I’ll make sure to return home with my back straight and head held high!”

Xia Fei’s eyes glowed as he spoke, like he had fired a ray of light right at that burly man’s back.